Chunin Exam Final!
Early Morning Akane yawned as she walked down the stairs, her hair a mess but otherwise ready to start her day. She, Yuri and Kaiya had arranged to meet outside the Tenno household to journey to the finals. "And how's my soon-to-be Chunin this morning?" It was Michiyo's cheery voice that greeted her, and her figure that stood at the bottom of the stairwell. Being the early bird that she was, she was already dressed appropriately and waiting for the young girl. Her arms were folded across her chest, and a enthusiastic smile decorated her countenance. Akane smiled weakly as Yuri same down the stairs looking, if possible, worse than Akane. "Don't jinx it, Onee-chan." Akane said as she sat down at the table. Michiyo laughed in amusement. "Sorry, Imouto. It's just a word of encouragement." She walked immediately out the door to the kitchen. "I'll just get out the plates... be right back." Without another word, she had disappeared into the kitchen door. Yuri started to comb Akane's hair back, yawning. "When will Kai be here?" "I have no idea." Akane replied drowsily. It was only a few minutes until Michiyo had came back - with the food they had all desired. With a lean and slide of her hand, she set the plates down in front of them. Then, she disappeared once again in order to get more. Yuri sat down in front of a plate and began to eat, while Akane wolfed her food down. Michiyo appeared once more, carrying the final plates that would mark her and her father's presence upon setting (and the arrival of himself, of course). She set one plate down, then sat in one of the chairs before setting her own down. "But, really, Akane. Do good out there. I ain't wishin' you good luck just for you to get yer butt kicked!" Akane laughed. "You and Tou-san'll be there right?" She asked, not bothering to mask the hopefulness in her voice. "Darn right we will! We'll be rootin' for ya, too!" Michiyo answered, smirking as she herself to eat. "That goes for your third 'mate, too." Akane grinned. "Thanks, Onee-chan." She said as Ahatake entered the room. "I want you two to see me win!" Ahatake smiled, closing his eyes as he took a sip of tea. "Don't be too confident." "Yeah... wouldn't want you getting a big ego, eh?" Michiyo agreed. "Besides aren't you fighting that black man who uses Thunder Release?" Yuri asked. "He might break you." Akane's eye twitched. "I feel real confident now." She said sarcastically. "Eh? Who now?" Michiyo raised an eyebrow, frowning a bit at Yuri's words. "I forget his name." Akane said, setting her fork down. "Began with an "S" I think." "Oh. And he possesses Lightning Release?" "Yeah." Yuri replied. "Kaiya's late isn't she?" Michiyo shrugged. "Don't ask me." She dismissed, in a display of indifference and slight boredom. "I don't keep track of her." "We should." Akane grumbled. "It's been weeks and she only pops up once a week." "Maybe she's busy? Not everyone can be so easily free from the chores of everyday life..." "Still makes me sad." Akane replied. If anything, there was nothing but exasperation on Michiyo's face. "Wow..." She muttered. "That's a stupid thing to say. Your friend could have forgotten where you would meet, or where you would meet in the first place. Heck, she could be--" However, she was immediately cut off by the sound of a gentle knocking on the door, followed by a feminine and familiar voice. "Hello? Anyone home?" Akane's eyes immediately lit up. "Kaiya's here!" She said and she ran to the door, opening it immediately. "Kaiya!!" "I've been waiting for half an hour, hoping you'd come out..." Kaiya stated, putting a hand to the side of her head. "I didn't know you'd be..." She peeked over Akane's shoulder in order to gaze upon the food. "...eating breakfast at this time..." Akane wrapped Kaiya in a tight hug. "Why were you out here for half and hour??" She said. "You could have knocked." "Like I said, I thought you'd come out soon, so I decided to wait." Akane sighed. "Well since you're here, guess we should get going. Yuri c'mon!" Yuri pushed out of her chair. "Seems like it is time to go. I will see you guys at the ring then." She said, as she walked out the door. "See ya later, Tenno-sama, Michiyo-san!" Kaiya said to the two older Tenno, emphasizing this with a wave. Smiling, Michiyo couldn't help but give a wave of her own before she saw the elder teammate shut the door. Ahatake waved back as well, before turning to his meal. Finals Akane walked cheerfully with her arm around Kaiya. "You really oughtta visit more often!" She complained. Kaiya winced at the complaining tone in her teammate's voice, despite the comforting arm around her. "I'm sorry, Akane..." She said, slightly meek. "But, I can never find the time to do so." Akane sulked. "But Yuri and I missed you alot!!" Yuri sighed. "She's right, but I didn't whine about it." "Sorry..." Kaiya said again. "It's alright." Akane said, placing her face close to Kaiya's. "S'long as neither of us ends up in the infirmary, we'll have plenty of time to spend together today." "Yeah..." At their close proximity, Kaiya stumbled a bit, careful not to let Akane fall incidentally. "Careful now..." She chided gently. "We still have to get there." Akane laughed. "How far is it?" "Not sure. Yuri?" "Not much farther." Yuri replied. "It's a huge stadium near the edge of the village, which is where we live anyway. We only have about 5 minutes 'till we get there." Spurred on by the news, Kaiya almost caused Akane to stumble with the sudden jerking movement she made. "That's good, then! A short walk!" She exclaimed cheerfully, clapping her hands together. Akane grinned. "I can't wait to use my new technique!" She said, forming a fist with he free hand. "New technique?" That caused Kaiya took look over at Akane with surprise. "What is it?" "I can't tell you!" Akane exclaimed. "I'm fighting you in the tournament!" Kaiya put on a rather pouting look. "Aiya... that's a shame." She muttered. "But I guess there's no helping it. Though, I hope I get to see it in our fight." Akane had to look away from Kaiya's face, otherwise she would have given in and told Kaiya her new move. "Don't worry, it;ll be worth your while." Yuri grinned as a looming black domed building came into view. "Finally..." Kaiya allowed a smile to once again don her face. "The final furlong, Akane, Yuri. Let's not disappoint." She encouraged. "I'm not in the finals." Yuri reminded her "Oh. My mistake." Yuri sighed as the walked up to the exit. There we two doors. One labeled "Audience and the other Finalists. The choice was obvious. Without hesitation, Kaiya gripped the knob of the first door and started to push it open. She and Akane would head through to the door, while Yuri would split off and go through the audience door. She, along with millions of other people, would be watching the fights from below with the desire of entertainment. She hoped not to disappoint them. Before Akane and Kaiya could go through the door, Yuri kissed them both. She grinned. "For good luck." She said as she went through the audience door. All Kaiya could manage as a response was nod absent-mindedly, before pushing the door open completely and stepping inside. As they entered, their ears were greeted by a mass of screaming and cheering, and demands thrown in. The other finalists had already made it before them and were standing in the center of the arena. It was a chorus to Kaiya's ears. Her heart, gripped by the feeling of anxiety, began to beat faster to escape its clutches. Her legs slightly shook, but she did not allow herself to waver as she stepped to join the other finalists in the area. The smile never left her face, a sense of honor rushing through her. There was no fear, no dread of the battles up ahead. Thanks to those screams, there was only pride. Akane was grinning. She was finally here. "Hey where's the black guy?" She said, looking around. Snapping out of her trance, Kaiya looked around for the said man. But she didn't have to look long - he was standing in front of the crowd, arms folded across his chest, and his gaze off somewhere in the midst of the audience crowd. "You mean Seken?" She asked, raising a finger to point in his direction. "He's over there." Akane looked where Kaiya was pointing and sure enough, there was Seken, standing out like a sore thumb. "Should I talk to him?" "If you want to." Kaiya answered, shrugging lightly. "Though, I can't say how he would react." "Alright." Akane replied and pulled her arm from around Kaiya. She walked about behind Seken and hit him on the head. Instinctively, the man covered the back of his head upon the feeling of the blow. "Hey, c'mon!" He complained, turning around to face whoever hit him. "I know it's the finals, but we don't fight just ye--" However, he instantly stopped upon seeing the younger girl, closing one eye and putting on a wincing smile. "Oh, hey kid." He muttered. "How's it been?" "It's been good." Akane replied, her fist stinging. "What the hell is his skull made of?" She winced for a moment. "I've been training. I'm gonna kick some serious ass here!" She said grinning. "I bet you will." Seken said, folding his arms across his chest. "But everyone else's gonna be aiming for the same thing, obviously." "Yeah. But you, the spitballer you're teamed up with, Kaiya and I are like the only ones with real power I think." Seken raised and wagged a finger at her. "You think. But I'd be careful. There's many more than the four of us who's strong. Don't count your chickens before they hatch." He warned. "True." Akane said. "My father always said-" But the rest of her sentence was lost as the proctor called for order and Akane moved to stand next to Kaiya. "Alright, it's time to begin the Finals of this years Chunin Exam!" The Proctor called out to the competitors and the audience. "This will take place in tournament match format, with the winner progressing up and the loser being eliminated. If all the contestants would please head towards the stands, as we choose which of you will battle first." Immediately, Seken stepped forward. He unfolded his arms, allowing them to rest at his side. His fists clenched, and a small smile decorated his face. He was clearly nervous - but he was also excited. He looked over at his partner Hokori, who had his own arms folded across his chest. He too looked quite confident, almost as if he was sure to win his match. Kaiya wasted no time in following suit. Akane followed as well, hoping she'd be the first to battle. The proctor cleared his throat. "Alright! Battle No. 1! Kenbutsu Seken vs Urameshi Nagi!" Up last the first time, up first the last time. How humorous. Seken grinned to himself, sliding his hands into his pockets. His eyes searched around, looking for any trace of moment at the proctor's voice to see who his opponent was. A young man with blond hair and horn-rimmed glasses stood up and jumped from the stands to the arena. "So there he is..." Seken thought, raising an eyebrow and folding his arms across his chest as he strolled over to the said arena. His eyes furrowed slightly as he eyed Nagi. "Kinda looks like a geek... but, then again, looks aren't everything." With a few more steps, he was standing a distance in front of his opponent, one fist enclosed into his other hand. The proctor cleared his throat again. "This will be an all out match with no time limit. When you're ready...begin!" Seken acted first. Like a cowboy quick-drawing his pistol, he whipped out three kunai, one in one hand, and two between the other hand's fingers. Imbuing them with his own chakra, he threw them at Nagi with fluid, but jerky motions. The man's eyes widened, and he ducked, the kunai passing over his head. He quickly pulled out a scroll, and opened it quickly. The moment he did, bladed weapons of various kinds were spewed at Seken like missiles. Seken's eyes made sure to take in every single movement that was made, from the movement of his arms to the scroll itself. Therefore, he was able to think quickly before the attack could land on him. Without hesitation, he clasped his hands together and jumped out of the way. But after that, his focus was not on Nagi anymore. ZZZAAAAAP! The kunai that had supposedly whizzed behind the man had actually stopped out of his vision range. Upon Seken's dodge, they had glowed a bright blue before unleashing several thin bolts of electricity upon Nagi. Seken watched the scene, putting on a toothy and cocky grin. Nagi eyes shut in pain as he was electrocuted but the pain did not last long and he was back on his feet. "Don't take me too lightly." He hissed and and drew a kunai. He chucked it at Seken but it fell to the ground inches in front of him. It looked as if Nagi had missed but then a sizzling sound was heard. The kunai was an explosive. BOOM! Thank God the decomposition of the tag was slow. The time that it took allowed the dark-skinned man to leap out of the way before it could consume him in the explosion, wincing at the heat that singed his skin ever so slightly. Nagi quickly formed hand seals. He opened his mouth and expelled a mass of water the flooded the entire field. Seken couldn't move in time to keep himself from being enveloped by the wave, its currents submerging him under. His eyes widened, ignoring the irritating invasion of the waters. His breath cut off, he changed his body position and climbed upwards, clawing his way back up to the surface. Akane sighed. "That Nagi has no consideration for others. I can't fight in water!" Nagi formed seals and a gigantic shark shot at Seken, its jaws opened wide. Just inches away from the surface! Then, Seken heard the ferocious roar of the water beast, craning his head to look on with widened eyes. "No!" He thought, fear instilling itself into him for a moment. It was that same fear that allowed him to climb with haste out of the water, using his chakra to support himself to gain a boost in the jumping. He was barely able to save himself from the shark's hungry jaws. The shark, due to Seken's jump, has missed it's target and crashed into the wall on the other side of the arena, becoming still water once again. Nagi quickly began to form seals again, moving his hands as fast as possible. Seken, meanwhile, had landed partially on all fours, his hands clutching the water that he stood on. Shifting himself, he summoned his power to his body once more. He could feel the electricity flowing through him, forming his Lightning Release Armor once more. Then, he glowed a bright blue... "HRAAAH!" Without any hesitation, he poured the electric power into the waters. Enhanced by the sea around them, the electric currents spread rapidly, threatening to electrocute anything in their path. Nagi immediately ceased forming seals and jumped back quickly, landing on the wall of the arena. "Shit!" Standing up, Seken stood for a moment, giving Nagi a slight glare. The electricity around his body was magnified by the waters surrounding him, giving his armor a deadlier appearance. Only a few seconds passed, before he charged at Nagi, feet running across the waters. Nagi jumped off the wall and into the air. He quickly formed seals again and expelled a massive amount of flame. However the flames didn't hit Seken, but the waters themselves, creating a large column of steam which obscured Nagi as he landed on the water. Immediately, Seken stopped in his tracks, eyes darting around for his opponent. He turned his body every which way, frantically searching for the hidden man. "W...where'd he go?" He thought, peering for even the slightest part of Nagi's body. The water however, began to move and rise up. It broke the steam, revealing Nagi, but the water had done what he had wished. It had taken the shape of a menacing dragon constructed entirely out of water. The dragon gave a might roar and sped towards Seken. Seken scowled. More water? Hadn't he learned his lesson already? Forming his own hand seals, he thrust a hand out to unleash a beast of his own - the Lightning Hound, its size magnified to rival the dangerous dragon that sought to crush him. With its own roar, it charged the beast head-on. Nagi's eyes widened. He had never before seen such a huge lightning hound before. The hound and dragon collided with the electricity melding slightly into the water dragon and using it as a path to travel back to Nagi. The moment it collided with him, he let out a hair raising scream of pain, and collapsed, smoking slightly, into the water. "Match No. 1 Victor! Seken!" The proctor cried as the medic-nin came to fetch Nagi. "We will have a short 10 minute intermission as the water is drained from the arena." Seken sighed in relief, the armor that had surrounded him dissipated, and so did his hound. Standing straight, he made his way to the stands - where a shocked Hokori was staring at him, eyes widened. At this, the dark-skinned man gave a small shrug, along with a sheepish smile. "What?" "Dude..." was all that Hokori muttered. "That was..." He trailed off, unable to bring himself to say anything for a moment, before finally exclaiming, "Kami, Seken, you were a friggin' terror!" Seken smirked out of pride. "Gee, thanks." He replied, sitting back down and looking at himself. "Though, I'm a little wet now..." "Great Job, Seken." Akane said grinning. "I think you killed the poor guy though." "Hey, he was asking for it!" Seken defended himself. "That shark would've snapped me in two!" He folded his arms across his chest in a huff. "I doubt it!" Akane replied laughing. "My hand still hurts from punching you in the head. I'm pretty sure you're made of diamond or something." "...you punched me that hard?" Seken cocked an eyebrow and frowned. "Where you trying to knock me out?" "Maybe." Akane replied shiftily. "Would have gotten rid of some of the competition." A bit of anger flickered through Seken's eyes at that statement, and he had to restrain the urge to clench his fist at the moment. But he said nothing, turning his gaze away from the girl. The stands were quiet as the water was drained. Finally the proctor called out the names of the next two opponents. The battle was short lived and ended in a draw, with both fighters being carted off to the infirmary. Akane yawned. "That was pathetic." "I think you were right, Akane-chan..." Seken mused, watching the two fighters being escorted out. "Not much interesting fights have been going on since my own..." "I'm always right." Akane said grinning. The proctor yelled up into the stands. "Match No. 3! Tenno Akane vs Kaiya!" "That's us." Kaiya commented, smiling in mild excitement. Promptly, she stood up from the chair, leaned over, and jumped the railing to land down to the ground below. Akane sighed and followed her. She landed rather gracefully and straightened herself up. The proctor cleared his throat. "Ready? Begin!" Lovers Battle Akane took a stance. "I'm ready when you are." Kaiya took her own stance, looking more on the defensive than on the offensive. "I'm ready." She confirmed to her opponent. "Let's begin." Akane charged at Kaiya and threw a punch at her face. Meanwhile, up in the stands, Ahatake and Michiyo had arrived in time to watch Akane's match. They had taken seats next to Yuri. Michiyo's eyes immediately caught Kaiya's opposite arm effectively blocking the fist, then with a fluid and wasteless movement, raised her opposing leg up in order to swing into Akane's side. "Seems we're right on time..." She commented, grinning as she took her seat. Akane jumped up, effectively dodging the kick and jerked her fist out of Kaiya's grip. Akane jumped back and made a quick intake of air. She expelled many small bullets of fire at Kaiya. With movement of a swift samurai, Kaiya rushed head-long at her opponent. With footwork the grace of a cheetah, she evaded every single bullet that had been shot towards her. Akane grinned. "Nice moves, Kaiya." She said, drawing her sword. "You shouldn't speak so calmly..." Before she had even brought the blade out halfway, Kaiya had closed the distance between her and Akane with ease thanks to the sudden relax of her opponent's attacks. "...when we're this close!" She finished, lunging the blade past her opponent's and straight towards the flesh. Akane reacted instinctively, using her sheath as a shield against the attack. The oncoming blade pierced the sheath, and the tip of Kaiya's blade connected with the flat side of Akane's. "She used her sheathed sword to defend herself? Clever..." Kaiya thought observingly, pulling back in order to unleash another strike against Akane's person. The moment Kaiya pulled back however, Akane used that as her chance to gain some distance and she succeeded in fully drawing her sword. She charged at Kaiya, and raised her sword. The moment she got within striking distance, she swung it down. Raising her own blade in order to block the attack, Kaiya reached behind her back for a moment before yanking out the hunting knife that had been sheathed there. While one hand held the hilt of her sword, the other swung the dagger in a horizontal strike. "Nearly forgot about that!" Akane scowled, and she swung her sheath down to meet the knife. Now both girls hands were tied, each holding and instrument that the other had blocked. The lock wouldn't remain secure; raising one foot up, Kaiya pushed Akane back, roughly but not enough force and speed to be considered an actual kick. In a surprise move, she discarded her weapons to the ground, but flipped through one hand seal - Snake. Taking in a deep breath, she expelled a massive amount of water from her mouth. Akane's eyes widened as she was swept away by the water's current and was submerged. The proctor sighed and he jumped out of the way. "We just drained this place too..." Kaiya hadn't stopped there, though. With a move without a cool-off period, Kaiya clapped her palms together than slammed one of her hands onto the water surface. From the five fingers, five blue and almost transparent sharks formed at the surface. They circled Akane with a ferocious speed, slowly moving in to their cornered prey. Akane was still under water when she saw the sharks closing in on her. "No way...NO FUCKING WAY!" She thought and she channeled chakra to her arm. It glew a dark pink and the petals began to rise. Unlike the jutsu that Michiyo had taught her though, they did not look like a blooming flower, but more like thorns on a rose. "DIE!" She thought as she launched one blade from her arm at the nearest shark. As soon as the blade connected, the shark had momentarily dispersed. However, thanks to the surrounding waters, it simply reformed back, continuing its approach of Akane without delay. Akane fired the remaining blades in a circular arc and the moment they released from her arm, she began swimming upward. They all hit the sharks, who momentarily dispersed and temporarily freeing the pressure they had put on Akane with their approach. That gave her the boost and potential needed for a clear shot to the surface before the sharks could reform again. Akane jumped out of the water, almost in the manner of a breaching whale and landed on the water's surface, gasping for breath. "Are you trying to kill me??" She asked Kaiya furiously. Kaiya tilted her head to the side. "I was trying to scare you into submission." She corrected. "Death looming over you and closing in can do that, so I figured...." "You forget," Akane said, her breathing steadying. "I'm in this tournament to catch up to my sister." The water under her began to bubble up and steam surrounded her. She was channeling heated chakra into the water around her and it was turning to steam. Akane grinned. "I don't have it in me to surrender! I have a goal to reach!" She closed her eyes and chakra began to channel into her arm. It turned the same dark pink again. At that time, Michiyo cocked an eyebrow upon the spectacle. Surely, she wasn't attempting to use her own technique - it was purely defensive, and would require an opponent's offensive attack in order to be effective. What was she trying to do...? Akane looked up into the stands. "Onee-chan look what I can do!!!" She called out and the petals began to rise again. The hardened and took the shape of the bladed thorns that she had used underwater. "Petal Release: Thorn of the Sakura!" Her wrist was covered in glowing pink spikes. That was when Michiyo felt the shock wash over her, eyes widened completely, and her mouth agape. "Since when did she learn to do that...?!" She pondered, staring at the scene in astonishment. "She used my technique to create an offensive version of it!" Ahatake grinned. "What an interesting technique." "Now take this!" Akane grinned and she charged at Kaiya, throwing a punch that was strengthened by the spikes on her wrist. A gasp came from the older girl's lips, as she backed off from Akane. But the spikes managed to scrape her face, causing red streaks to appear on the cheek. She was forced to retreat back, clutching her face. Akane grinned. "This is new move number 3!" She said as she extended her arm. The blades on her arm were all launched at Kaiya, speeding towards her like missiles. Acting on instinct alone, Kaiya removed the chakra under her feet, allowing herself to sink below the surface just in time to avoid the oncoming projectiles that certainly would've shredded her if she hadn't moved in time. "Awwww!" Akane sulked. "I coulda hit you had you just stood still!" The mirth didn't last too long. A massive figure was now heading towards her from the depths of the water with immense speed. At first, it seemed like Kaiya rising to the attack. However, in the fleeting seconds that one could, it was obvious that it wasn't. Another shark was coming into play. Akane scowled and she began to send chakra to her arm again. This time however, it glew a light calm pink. The petals began to rise yet again. "She's going to absorb it." Though her thoughts were seemingly positive, Michiyo held a look of concern on her face. She looked on with apprehension as her sister prepared to perform the move on the rising shark. Akane jumped back as the "flower" fully "bloomed". She awaited the elemental predator. It was a game of chicken. Akane looked as if she could absorb the entire creature with the jutsu once it came to the surface. But the speed it was going at threatened another possibility; if she didn't move quick enough, its jaws would be enough to snap her in two. At last, the predator arrived - from under her feet. Akane felt the disturbance "Oh shit!" She cried and jumped out of the way and into the air as the shark surfaced, it's jaws wide. They shut, displaying the power and force of the great white that so many feared. Then, it seemed to sink back under the surface, collapsing back into the water as if readying to attack once again. The petals receded and Akane,falling, quickly made signs. "New Technique number 2!" Akane cried. Petals formed under her and they kept her suspended in mid-air. She breathed a sigh of relief. "Petal Release: Sakura Suspension." It wasn't the shark. Instead, Kaiya, gasping for air, pulled herself up to the surface with a gasp, falling onto her hands and knees. In order to maintain the technique, she had to hold her breath for an extended period of time, which was taxing on the lungs. She struggled to bring herself to a standing position, water matting over her face as she coughed. The petals dispersed and Akane landed on the water. "Why the HELL did you hide underwater just to send a shark at me?" If not for her distracted state, Kaiya would've flinched at the emphasis of the curse word. But she could not bother with a reply, too immersed in trying to regain her air. Slowly, she managed to stand up, pressing a hand to her breastbone in an attempt to soothe her heart. Akane sighed and she formed seals. She expelled a long stream of orange-white flame at Kaiya. Eyes widening, Kaiya quickly executed another set of hand seals, stopping at the Ram. On cue, another shark rose up out of the water, but wasn't aiming to tear Akane apart like before. Instead, it rose in front of Kaiya, acting as a temporarily shield against the incredibly hot waters. It allowed for her to jump to the side of it before the shark was completely enveloped in the blaze. The hot flames caused steam to rise and evaporated a good amount of water, blocking the girls from each others sights. Kaiya was forced to back off, raising her arm to shield her face against the steam. She attempted, in vain, to peer through the steam in order to see Akane's form. But it was far too thick for such a task. Akane couldn't see either. She wished she hadn't used such hot flames. She took out an explosive kunai. "Let's get this mist...OUT OF THE WAY!" She cried, throwing the kunai with an explosive tag attack. It exploded before it even connected with anything, effectively getting rid of the mist. And there Kaiya stood. Her figure was hunched slightly, and she was practically panting like a dog, shoulders heaving up and down. She attempted to step forward, only to fall on one knee out of the severe exhaustion she felt. Her head was hung, and she attempted to stand once more. Akane looked worried. "Kaiya are you all right?" She called out to her. She would never get a response. As she stood up once again, she could feel consciousness slipping away, body going numb. It was all thanks to that risk move that she was in such a condition, exhausted beyond fast recovery, and darkness taking over her. She attempted to fight her eyes as they slowly started to roll back into her head. But it was futile. With a final sigh, she collapsed on her face on the water, lying still. "Match No. 3 Winner! Akane Tenno!" The proctor called out. The medic-nin came out to get Kaiya but Akane waved them off. "I'll have Tou-san patch her up." She said when they looked puzzled and they merely walked off. Akane picked up Kaiya and headed back towards the stage as the proctor announced yet another intermission as the arena was drained of water. "Congratulations, imouto." Michiyo's voice was the first one heard to her ears as she came within view. "I knew you could do it." She even reached out to ruffle the younger girl's hair for a bit. Akane smiled and blushed. "Thanks Onee-chan." She said as she placed Kaiya on the ground. "Onee-chan, do you have any healing skill?" Michiyo shook her head. "No. Besides, I don't see anything major on her that should be healed." She said observantly. "Other than a need to get some rest..." "Alright." Akane said, and she propped Kaiya up against the stand's wall like a doll. "She can sleep there." She did look like a doll, in a sense. A big, life-like doll, but a doll nonetheless. Michiyo closed one eye while the other looked over at the both of the for a moment. "You sure you're ready for the final round, though?" She questioned, passing a glance over to Seken, who was busy chatting with Hokori. "He seems quite tough." "Yeah, I know I'm ready!" Akane said grinning. "All he does is used energy based attacks. I can just absorb 'em all!" "I wouldn't recommend that." "What?" Akane said. "Is there a limit to how much I can absorb?" Michiyo nodded. "That jutsu was designed for when in a status when you're in a severely exhausted state. The energy that goes into your body acts as fuel to reduce the strain, allowing you to fight for longer periods of time. If you aren't out of it and use it for more than three consecutive times, it'll cause abnormalities on the body." Akane banged one of her fists on top of the other. "Onee-chan, I just came up with an idea for what to do with this jutsu while you were talking!" Michiyo sweatdropped. "I just hope you got what I said, imouto..." "Yeah, yeah yeah!" Akane said, smiling. "But anyway, you'll love to see my new idea!" Ahatake laughed. "The creativity of a child is truly amazing isn't it Michiyo?" "Oh, boy... I fear I may crash through the ceiling if I leap for joy now..." Michiyo drawled sarcastically, expression emphasizing it. Ahatake laughed again. "Well, I think it's time for the next match." Sure enough the water had been drained. The proctor called down the next opponents, Hokori and another Shinobi. Hokori won his battle without much trouble. Akane's eyes were wide. "What did he do?" She asked. "Anyone catch that at all?" "He enhanced his own carbon cells, of course!" Seken had decided to speak up, grinning as he watched his partner kick some dirt on the fallen opponent. "Not only did it enhance his defense, but also his attack to a certain degree. Against that type of opponent, he was practically invincible." As Hokori calmly jumped back into the audience, both he and Seken shared a high-five slap. "Nice job, man!" The dark-haired male cheered. "He creeps me out." Akane shuddered. "Least you've never fought him." Yuri said darkly. "True." "You were lucky, Seken..." Hokori complained, sitting back down in a huff. "At least your opponent gave you a bit of a fight. Mine was absolute crap." That made Seken chuckle, but he said nothing else in return as he returned to his own seat. The proctor called out the names of the two opponents that were next. "Match No. 5!" The proctor called out. "Tenno Akane vs Kenbutsu Seken!" Akane grinned and jumped down. She landed on the arena and slung her sword over her back. "Seken! Get down here!" She cried, pointing her finger at him. Without hesitation, the dark-skinned male jumped over the balcony and landed in a crouched position, staying there for a moment before standing up. He clenched and released his fists repeatedly, in a last moment of exercising himself. Long Awaited Battle The proctor cleared his throat. "Ready? BEGIN!" Akane grinned. "It's about damn time!" She said, twirling her sword. "I've been wanting to fight you." "Good to hear." Seken commented, settling into his taijutsu stance. "It'd be a shame if you weren't looking up to fighting me." Akane gripped her sword. "Fighting you was one of the reasons I entered the finals." She charged at him. "SO LET'S GET THIS SHOW ON THE ROAD!" She swung her blade at his gut the moment she was within striking distance. All he needed was that simple charge in order to read her movements. In preparation, he stepped back to avoid being cut, then twisted around to deliver a roundhouse kick towards the face. The legs of the body had longer range, and would save the risk of having to go up closer than necessarry. The kick succeeded in connecting with the young Tenno and she was sent flying to the right of Seken. She managed to catch herself and stood back up clutching her face. "There's that diamond hard body again." She growled. "It's a wonder he didn't shatter my jaw." Seeing his opponent dazed, Seken decided to push his offensive. Unleashing his electrified shield for a brief moment, he threw himself at her, a haymaker punch directed towards her face. "Oh Hell No!" Akane vanished on the spot. There was merely silence. "Huh?" When the armor cleared, Seken looked around in confusion, surprised by the sudden disappearance of the girl. The ground cracked as Akane jumped out from under the ground, appearing behind Seken. She gripped her blade and thrust it into Seken's shoulder. Metal tore through meat like a butcher knife. Seken gritted his teeth, nerves overcome with the terrifying sensation of pain as the sword impaled itself through the back of the shoulder. With frantic hands, he reached up and grabbed the blade, once again activating his Lightning Armor in order to conduct the electricity back to Akane. The lightning pulsed through her sword and the moment in met with her hand, waves of pain flushed through her body and she was forced to relinquish the sword, leaving it impaled into her opponent. Despite the horrible feeling whenever he tried to move the arm, Seken slowly reached and gripped the blade from the back and slowly started to pull it out. Other times, he had to wiggle a bit, increasing the overall pain and making the wound wider. However, he finally managed to get it out of his shoulder, turning around to face the female. The sharp part was held in his hand, so he was careful not to grip too tightly. With an act that displayed a bit of honor, he extended the sword to Akane, hilt facing her. Akane looked wary. "You're giving the sword...back to me?" "It'd be unfair to rob you of a weapon like that." Seken replied calmly, eyes half-lidded and eyebrows furrowed. "Take it." "I'd prefer you to place it on that ground." Akane said. "Electricity and what-not." That brought a grin on Seken's face. "Oh, come on. That'd be way too easy. Besides, didn't you say fighting me was one of the reasons you came this far?" He started to take steps, nearing the hilt closer to Akane. "I wouldn't be the one to deny you with such a cheap trick. Go on, take it." He encouraged. "I promise I won't use any Lightning jutsu when you do." Akane walked up and took her sword out of his grip. "Thanks." Retracting his hand, Seken gave a short nod in return before backing away. "Now, let's continue." He said, settling into his usual stance. This time, it was quite similar to the boxing stance, only one arm was outstretched slightly more than the other, and the hands were open, clearly meant for catching attacks. Though, he could easily shift that by closing his fingers. "No lightning release?" Akane asked, sounding disappointed. Seken gave a rather exasperated look. "Must you ask so many questions, kid?" He countered, eyes narrowing comically. "That's gonna get you killed if we were fighting for real." Akane ignored him and placed both her hands on the ground. "I'll force him to use lightning release!" She thought. "Try this!" The ground around Seken began to turn into mud, creating a swamp. "....oh, boy." Clenching his fists, he once again activated his electrified armor, glowing the radiant blue it was known for. Without further hesitation, he charged her, readying to attack with newfound ferocity. "NOT what I was hoping for!" Akane said as she jumping up into the air and out of the way. She drew an explosive kunai and threw it at him. With the speed his jutsu gave him, he vanished from his spot, the explosion consuming the place where he had once stood. But, there was no relief period to be found, as he re-appeared above Akane's head, leg descending towards her head in the same manner that he had done to finish off Shinji in the preliminaries. The leg hit it's mark, and Akane was sent hurtling towards the ground. She hit the ground with a loud thud and was momentarily still. But her hand twitched and she forced herself back up, rubbing the back of her head. "Dammit!" She thought. "I'm not getting anywhere with this!" Seken was still descending towards Akane upon her crash. Clasping his hands together, her allowed himself to fall, letting out a wild scream as he swung his fists down towards her head once more upon landing. Akane was ready this time though and jumped back right before the fist collied with her skull. The resulting impact caused a large crater, and Akane's eyes widened as the chill of fear crept down her spine. This man could really kill her. Seken stepped out of the crater, hunching over for a moment and lowering his head, giving the illusion of darkened eyes. The armor, through the clear smoke, was giving him the appearance of an enlightened ghost in the mist. But, behind the screen, he straightened up and raised his hands, forming hand seals once more. "Lightning Release: Lightning Hound!" He mentally called out, extending his hand to unleash the ferocious canine to play once more. It rushed at Akane like a lion, electrical teeth baring for a chance to sink down into its prey. "THAT'S IT!" Akane cried excitedly as her arm turned bright pink and the petals rose again, forming the blooming flower that she had created during her earlier fight with Kaiya. It connected. The hound gave a screeching roar as it was absorbed into Akane's petal arm, causing it to glow with the newfound electricity. Seken narrowed his eyes for a moment, before taking in a deep breath. "So you're absorbing it? All right, then..." He pushed in more chakra, continuing to feed more energy. "Let's see how much you can take before you explode!!" Akane grinned. "I won't explode! I came up with a great expansion on this jutsu!" She looked into the stands yet again. "Onee-chan!" She cried out. "Watch THIS one!" She broke the connection with Seken and she extended her petal arm. "HERE! Take back what you gave me in full! Petal Release: Sakura's Mirror!" She cried and the lightning she absorbed was fired at Seken in the form of pure energy. That broke Seken's mental defenses, revealing his shock at the new jutsu. Immediately, he stopped feeding his energy into the attack, opting instead to leap out of the way as the lightning energy seeped past him. "That was too close..." He mentally gasped, pressing a hand to his heart. Akane fell on one knee. She was panting. Despite having been so confident, that jutsu had accidentally taken alot of her own energy from her on top of using the absorbed energy. She hadn't expected that. "So there is a limit..." Seken deduced, narrowing his eyes as his lightning armor flared once more. "Maybe I can force her to use it again..." Without a second, he charged her, hand raised in the form of a readying fist. Sensing danger, Akane jumped back, her attention devoted not to Seken, but to her current condition. "I can't believe I'm so drained!" She thought. "Maybe if I can get him to use that hound again, I can recuperate." She thought. But before either opponent could do anything, a loud explosion was heard outside the stadium, near the village center. Flames A young Shinobi in shades came running into the arena and into the stands. "Hokage-Sama! Tenno-Sama!" He cried panting. "We...we have intruders in the center of the village..t-thought you oughtta know.." He finished before fainting dead away. Ahatake's eyes widened as the Hokage himself got up from his seat. Immediately, Michiyo stood up, a mixture of shock and horror on her own face as she heard the words. "Intruders?! Damn it..." She thought, gritting her teeth in frustration. "Should've seen this coming!!" It wasn't unnoticed by the two spectators Kaiya and Hokori, who stood up as well and looked on with surprise. Seken's shock immediately caused him to call back the energy he had summoned, the electrifed armor fading from his body. "The hell...?" He managed to mutter, staring at the Hokage in surprise. A panic soon began but the Hokage immediately quelled it. "SILENCE!" He called out and his voice carried throughout the stadium. "I ask everyone NOT to panic! All Shinobi who feel they are able are requested to patrol the village and maintain stability. If the situation calls for an evacuation, a signal will be sent to you all. Civilians are asked to remain here for your own safety!" Then Isei turned to Ahatake and Michiyo. "I ask that you two come with me." He said. "We will head to the village center and see what is going on." "Of course, Hokage-sama." Ahatake replied. "Yes, Hokage-sama!" Michiyo said immediately. The Hokage took off out of the stadium with Ahatake and Michiyo in tow. "These intruder's couldn't have timed their attack better." He said quietly. "A powerful Shinobi is returning to the Village today." As she kept up, Michiyo immediately popped the sure-to-be-asked question. "Who's the powerful Shinobi?" Her voice was controlled, although it showed a bit of her alert state within. "An Uchiha, known by the name of Hakushoku." The Hokage replied. Ahatake's eyes widened. "Haku-Hakushoku?" He asked, making sure he had hear clearly. "That's right. You know him?" "I fought him." Ahatake replied bitterly. "He kicked my ass clear across country." Michiyo's contorted into one of confusion. "Wasn't all of those guys supposed to be killed off a long time ago? Where do they keep coming from!" She exclaimed, in both questioning and mild ranting. The Hokage laughed. "Haku was out of the village at the time on a training mission. He and a few other Uchiha's who were with the Clan during the Massacre were not killed. It can be assumed any Uchiha that are around now are either those lucky escapee's or descendants of them." "Oh... I guess that explains it..." The trio's nostrils were soon greeted by the smell of fire and smoke and they knew they were nearing their destination. Michiyo's ears perked up as well, as she heard the sound of constant, brief whirring sounds that seemed to come from over her head. "Hokage-sama... I think they're using fire archers to bomb the area." She deduced. "That would explain most of the blaze." "Flames.." The Hokage thought, not responding to Michiyo at all. He clapped his hands together. "This'll be difficult to pull off, due to the heat but it's worth a shot!" He created a spiraling vortex of water as soon as they reached the flames, giving no warning to the two Tenno trailing behind him. Had she been a lesser ninja, she would've made the novice mistake of running straight into the blast. However, her reflexes allowed her to stop instantly as soon as the Hokage stopped in his tracks. Ahatake nearly collided with them, not expecting the Hokage to launch an attack, but he stopped successfully too. The Hokage moves his hands as if he was controlling a puppet and the blast of water snaked throughout the area, extinguishing the blazes as it went. It was a considerably appealing display to look at. The Kage had taken the water technique and used it in a rather interesting manner of chakra control. The water itself had seemed to separate and move like the snakes their owner made them to be, extinguishing the blazing death from their path. Although mostly focused on the attack, Michiyo took on a note of astonishment as such. The water collapsed into a large puddle as the final blaze was extinguished. Here was the second Hokage with tremendous skill in Water Release Ninjutsu. He cracked his knuckles. "I know your out there." He said calmly and coolly. "Show yourself." "Typical Konoha dogs." Their enemy had decided to make itself known. From the rafters of the ruins, as well on ground level with the trio, there were several of the enemy shinobi taking positions. The snipers, having picked their places carefully, now had arrows pointing down at their heads. The ones on the ground had swords out and leveled towards them, ready to cut them down at a moment's notice. One of them, however, seemed to have his hands behind his back in a relaxed manner, almost as if unconcerned about the enemy he was facing. "But unfortunately for you, we have no intentions to hide." He stated boastfully. "Your village will face annihilation at our hands." Michiyo's eyes, however, widened at the uniforms they were all wearing. "T...tou-san!" She called out to him, expression a mix of surprise and panic. "These are the same ninja that scouted us before the fight with Tenko!" "So they are member's of Spetsnaz.." The white haired man said, moving his hair out of his eyes. "Are you all here alone?" The leader chuckled. "What a foolish question." He taunted the Kage. "Of course, we could not reign all of this destruction on our own!" He looked up towards the sky. "Have your ears gone deaf? You should be hearing the screams that go on within your village." For the quiet moment that passed, there was indeed the haunting sound of screaming...blades clashing in the distance... explosions going off occasionally. In the sky, the arrows seemed to come down like a rainfall, cutting down even more opposition. That's when Michiyo gritted her teeth, narrowing her eyes at the man with nothing more than contained rage. "You mother fucker...." She bit out. "Have you no shame?!" "Michiyo, I request you gather up ANBU member's and go asses the Village's condition." Isei instructed, calmly as he had been earlier. "Kill any opposition and protect the villagers!" "..." At first, there was a bit of reluctance in Michiyo's eyes as she continued to give the rather arrogant leader a murderous glare. She had been so eagerly waiting for the chance to slay this demon in human's clothing, just to shut him from his ability to talk. Now, upon hearing her Hokage speak, she saw her chance immediately lost. How could he--? Then it clicked. He wanted her to save the villagers from further slaughter - something that her enemy would not want. It would provide at least a bit of grim satisfaction to see his plan fail... if she did her job. With an immediate, and a bit reluctant nod, she leaped off into the distance, leaving the other two in the confrontation. "Ahatake, you will go scan village borders to check for enemy's posing as lookouts." Isei ordered. "I will remain here and take care of the riff-raff." "Alright!" Ahatake gave a respectful salute to the Hokage and vanished. That's when the leader gave a scoff, raising a hand to his units. "FIRE!" He shouted, making sure the archers overhead heard it. Without hesitation, they set their sights to the man that was left and shot their arrows. The projectiles moved with immense speed. The Hokage's glare was ice. Without a word. he drew his kunai and cleanly cut all the opposing arrows into small, smoldering pieces. "I'm not as kind a man that I would let you waltz into my village, attack it, and then leave without punishing you." His voice was nearly as icy as his glare, and it was sending off vibes similar to a rattlesnakes rattle. With those words, and to the ninja that stood on ground level with him, it was a practical challenge - one that they were very eager to take. With their swords at the ready, a small group of them lunged at him with gleaming eyes. The rest continued to stand back, while the archers readied their arrows once more. The Hokage didn't move, he didn't even twitch a muscle. However, the moment the shinobi were close to him, water began to swirl from the remnants of Isei's last jutsu. They formed into drills of water and flew at the oncoming shinobi. "Perish." There were mixed reactions. Having little time and room to move, many of the archers were instantly cut down, as well as some of the ground units. However, ones that had been farther away had been able to see the attack. Leaping over their bodies, the ones that were closer swung their swords down on the Kage. The Hokage swung his Kunai up to block. "I'll finish this in just one stroke." He said forming a sword of water in his free hand. He swung it, aiming for their midsections. There were two results. Immediately, shock crept within them, even as their blades tore forward. They were instantly slain, having been caught off guard by the sudden attack. However, despite some of the blades being blocked, there were still some having been aimed at his side... Those blades pierced through. ---- Meanwhile at the stage, Akane and Seken were still in the arena, though they were not fighting. Due to the intruders, the Chunin Exam had been called off and Akane was sulking. "Seken!" That's when Hokori made his sudden appearance to the two of them, having stayed long before the crowd around him had dispersed, out of the disappointment that they wouldn't get to see the fight, as well as the fear of being killed by the attackers. A rather disappointed Seken looked up to see his friend's figure falling and landing on the ground. "I thought you left with Mirai." He spoke in a glib manner, folding his arms across his chest. But Hokori shook his head to contradict the statement. "Nah. Mirai was told to go somewhere else to help escort. With those abilities of hers, though, I wouldn't blame 'em for picking her for the job." The black-haired man shuddered a little. "They scare me, man..." Seken chuckled in reply, cocking an eyebrow. "So that means you're glad she's on our team." "Damn right I am!" Akane was sitting by herself, Kaiya still not in much of a condition for movement, so Yuri was tending to her. Akane was grumbling as she stood up. "No point in sitting here.." She thought to herself. "Might as well DO something." At that exact moment there was a flash of silver and Akane's cheek was cut. Blood tricked down. "A pity.." A voice murmured and the platinum haired boy boy shimmered into sight. "It appears I missed." The reactions of the two boys was instantaneous. Upon the sight of the bullet-like projectile cutting through the skin of the girl that stood beside them, they whipped out one of their own kunai and stood defensively, like sentinel statues guarding their leader. "You..." Seken spoke in a rather vehement tone, causing Hokori to glance at him in puzzlement. "You know this guy?" "He was the ninja that attacked and nearly killed Akane-chan's team, had I not showed up." The boy explained, a displeased frown still on his face. "I suppose I have to give him credit this time for facing us head-on." Yuri's eyes widened on the boys arrival but she was frozen as fear dripped down her spine. "He..he's back.." Hakkin looked at the dark skinned man. "Ah yes..Seken if I am not mistaken?" "That's my name." Seken answered. "Now what are you doing out here?" "You siding with those punks who're attacking our village?" Hokori demanded, now giving his own glare towards the platinum-haired menace. Hakkin placed a hand to his forehead for a moment, sighing. "I am one of the punks who is attacking your village." He said quietly. Raising his head for a moment, Hokori gave a scoff. "Well, either way, you're going to die unless you back off. Against fighters like us, you don't stand a chance." He boasted threateningly. Hakkin smiled. "Are you trying to goad me into a fight?" "Don't you fucking listen?" Seken snapped. "He just said to back off or die!" Instinctively, he raised his kunai to his chest defensively a bit more, the annoyance wearing on him a bit. "We won't let you hurt Akane-chan, or her teammates!" Hakkin frowned for a moment and vanished. He reappeared behind Akane and jabbed her neck once. Her eyes rolled back into her head as she fell unconscious. He caught her before she hit the ground and hoisted her onto his back. "I have no use for her teammates." Hakkin said. "And I do not intend to harm the girl unless ordered." At first, shock reigned through both of the boys' countenances for a moment, being more prominent of Seken's. With the sudden speed he had displayed, neither of their eyes could follow any movement he had made. One moment, he had been standing a few ways in front of them - and the next, he was right behind them. This brought a bit of a chill down Seken's spine as he realized what could've happened before. He could've gotten himself killed by this shinobi. But it lasted, as said before, only for a moment. "GET HIS ASS!" The shout of Hokori's furious voice was prominent, spurring both of their gears into action. Twisting around on a pivot, they threw themselves towards their enemy, fists swung like hooks. Hakkin jumped to the side before their fists connected and grabbed the nearest Shinobi, Seken, and threw him into the arena wall. A dark wind surrounded him. "You would have no chance against me, even if you brought in 100 Shinobi as reinforcements." He said as the whirlwind had nearly surrounded him completely. "Be grateful I didn't slaughter you both where you stand." The whirlwind enveloped him and Akane completely and he vanished. WHAM! Seken slumped to the ground on his side, gritting his teeth as he struggled to stand as the pain spread through his spine. Hokori himself could only shield himself from the whirlwinds as their enemy faded into a cloud of dust. Glaring at the spot for a moment, he turned his attention back to Seken, a concerned look gracing his features. "You all right?" He questioned, walking over to him. "I'll manage..." Seken muttered, accepting the hand his friend took him to stand back on his feet. "Though, I'd like to know what in the hell that guy exactly is..." He folded his arms across his chest. "We'd better get moving, pronto!" With a quick nod, both of them disappeared into thin air as well, leaving the place empty. Yuri was motionless, her mouth open. She had gone unconscious on her feet. ---- Drip. Drip. Blood was seeping down from where the blade had pierced the Kage's side. "I let my guard down." He thought, pulling out the swords. "I should have been more focused." Though all of them had been effectively slain, he had suffered multiple stab wounds, thanks to the "last stand" of his enemies. He had managed to pull all of them out, but the paining stimulation of his nerves took a bit of a toll on his body, and he was steady losing blood. Even in death, the ninja were ruthless. Isei reached into his hip pouch and pulled out a pill. He swallowed it. The bleeding began to cease and the Kage's chakra restored. It was a medicinal pill. The Shinobi's last effort had been wasted. It was then that Michiyo had immediately come across the scene, her figure appearing in a kneeled position before the Hokage. Several scratches and minor wounds covered her body, and the hitch could be seen in her breathing pattern. "Sir! I have good news and bad news from the front." She managed to say. "I'll take the bad news first." He said, turning to face the young clan head. "...there is much damage in the majority of the village, along with heavy casualities. Most of which were done by the archers that kept our forces pinned down." "And the good news?" "Many of the inner enemy units are being pushed back, though I fear it may be a stalemate once again. We managed to get most of the villagers out of harm's way." "I see." The Kage reached into his hip pouch and drew out a small bag. "Take this to the wounded. It'll halt the bleeding. After that, dispatch at least two medic-nin to the wounded and begin treatment immediately. I'll send word to your father and have him back here immediately. We will join the main force and attack the intruders." Michiyo nodded. "I'll do what I can, Hokage-sama." She acknowledged, standing back up and accepting the medical gift. With another deferent nod, she vanished once more in order to do the said duty.